Telephone-switch



(Not/Lodel.) l f C. WHITLOCK 8v A. C. KNAPP.

TELEPHONE SWITCH.l

Patented Sept. 22, V1885.

CHARLES VVHITLOCK AND ALLEN C. KN APP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TELEPHONE-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,610, dated September 22, 1885.

Application filed November 6, 1884. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES Wnrrnocir and ALLEN C. KNAPP, both citizens ofthe. United States, residing in Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented .cer-1 tain new and useful Improvements in Tele! phone Switches, of which the following is a specification. l

Thisinvention relates to improvements in switches employed in telephone vservice and actuated by the gravity of the transmitter to.` break the receiver-circuit and close the bell;

circuit when-thc transmitter is hung up and:

not in use, and automatically actuated by a spring or other resistance to close the receivercircuit when relieved from engagement with the transmitter.

The objects of this invention are to provide; a direct connection between the switch and receiver, so that 'a switch is positively actuated by the receiver, and a spring resistance,

to automatically alternately make and break two or more circuits-as, for example, the

bell and transmitter circuits--of the telephone. 1

Further objects are to provide such a connection Ybetween the switch and receiver that the receiver cannot bejoined with the switch without breaking a before -closed circuit, and, if need be, at the same time close a before-open circuit; and, finally, to simplify the construction of the switch and its connections, all as hereinafter shown and described. these objects by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of a receiver and transmitter embodying our invention; Fig. 2, a central section through a switch embodying our invention and illustrating the position of its connections with the receiver when the latter is hung up; Fig. 3, a similar View, with the receiver detached, Fig. 4, a similar view of another form of switch embodying our invention; Fig. 5, a similar view of still another form of our invention; Fig. 6, a similar view of another form of our invention, in which the sleeve constitutes a sliding jaw carrying the switch-plate.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

The transmitter or microphone and receiver or telephone herein shown and referred to,

I attain andalso the call-bell, are of any ordinary or preferred construction, and need not, therefore, be described in detail. The receiver and lattery and the bell-wires are in different planes, so that when the switch-plate A is in contact with the bell-wire, the circuit of the call-bell (shown in Fig. l) will be closed and f the circuits of the receiver and battery both open or broken, and viceA versa when the switch-plate is in contact with the receiver and battery wires.

As shown in all of the gures of the drawings, the switch-plate A is j formed with or otherwise rigidly secured to a sliding jaw projecting through the case of the receiver, so that whatever reciprocation is imparted to the jaw a corresponding reciprocation will be imparted to the switch plate, and by a positivev connection. The sliding jaw is actuated by a coil or other form of spring, C, to normally maintain a switch-plate in contact with the terminals of the receiver and battery wires and close their circuit, and at the same time break the circuit of the bellwire, said sliding jaw also cooperating with `a fixed jaw, D, as hereinafter described.

As shown in Fig. 2, the fixedjaw is hollow and provided with elongated slots, in which works a pin, a, which. rigidly connects asleeve, b, and stem c, constituting a sliding jaw. In this construction thespring C is confined between the rigid base of the rigid jaw and the inner end of the sleeve portion of the sliding jaw, so that when the telephone is removed the sliding jaw will move outwardly luntil its face is in contact with the rigid jaw and the switch-plate in contact with the receiver and battery wires, as shownin Fig. 3. If in this position the telephone screw-eye d be forced between the j aws, the sliding jaw will be pushed away from the rigid jaw, and the switch-plate from the terminals of the battery and receiving wires to contact with the bell-wire.

In Fig. et the relative position and construction of the sliding and rigid j aws are reversedthat is to say, the'rigid jaw is made tubular and surrounds the sliding jaw, and also entirely conceals the spring, while at the same time the sliding jaw carries and is made in one piece with t-he switch-plate, and projects beyond the rigid jaw.

In Fig. 5 the construction is similar to that shown in Fig. 2, except that the sleeve of the sliding jaw is extended soas to cover and conceal the spring and work in recesses or grooves in the case to more eilectually exclude dust and other foreign substances from t-he spring and other internal parts.

In Fig. 6 is shown still` another form embodying this invention, and in which the slidingjaw is tubular, surrounds the rigid jaw, projects through the case, and has the switchplate directly secured toit. In this construction the rigid and outer jaw is provided with a flange secured to the case, and having a series of slots, in which a corresponding number of arms, g, made by cutting out the sleeve, are

guided so as to permit the sliding jaw to have a toandfro movement through the case and direct connection with the switch-plate.

The construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 is desirable because fully concealing the springs, and, besides, Fig. 5 is particularly simple in construction as compared with some of the other constructions for the same purpose; but the constructions shown in Figs. 2 and 3 have been by actual use demonstrated to be very practical.

In Figs. 2, 3, 5, and 6 the inner and sliding jaw has its face rising slightly above the rigid jaw, so as to afford a surface for the screw-eye .I of the telephone to impinge against and force the jaw inwardly by a single and forward movement of the telephone in the act of hanging it up, the outer jaw having its end beveled to facilitate this operation and prevent the telephone from being hung up without first actuating the sliding jaw.

In Fig. 4 this construction is reversed, so that after moving the telephone forward it is pulled downwardly and backwardly to draw the sliding jaw outwardly-an operation requiring a reversal of the relative positions of the terminal wires, as shown.

In all of the constructions shown and described there is no pivotal or vibrating movement of the switch or any of its parts, and hence the number of parts are correspondingly reduced and the operation of the switch-plate rendered positive and certain.

Te are aware that it is old to suspend a telephone from a fixed support notched to receive the eye on the telephone, and yto lock the telephone in the notch by a circuit-changing piece notched at its outer end and sliding on the fixed support, so that when pushed inwardly the opposing notches will inclose the screw-eye on the telephone, and we therefore make no claim to such a construction.

Having described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1'. The combination, Vwith a switch-plate, the sliding jaw, and the sleeve thereof, of a pin connecting the sleeve and stem of the sliding jaw with a rigid jaw provided with elongated slots and passing through the sleeve of the sliding jaw, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the sliding jaw and the rigid jaw provided with opposing faces, one of said faces projecting. at all times beyond the plane of the face of the other jaw,

`whereby open jaws are provided for receiving the telephone, substantially, as described.

3. The sliding jaw and the rigid open jaws, one of which projects at all times beyond and is sleeved upon the other, in combination with a spring for actuating the sliding jaws, substanti-ally as described.

CHARLES WHI'rLocK. ALLEN o. KNAPP.

' Witnesses: 1

NV. W. ELLIOTT, JNO. G. ELLIOTT. 

